


Make Of Me What You Must

by vodkaandlime



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Future, Angst with a Happy Ending, Grief/Mourning, Guns, Heroism, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Injury, Kidnapping, Loneliness, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Medical Experimentation, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Revolution, Sort Of, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:02:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29583471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vodkaandlime/pseuds/vodkaandlime
Summary: The Emperor has announced a ball in honour of the Alpha heroes of the war ship Rhapsody.At the ball the Alphas will be given the Omega of their choice from one of the Omega collections of the Empire.A revolutionary group who wish to destroy the Empire are also looking forward to making a move at the ball.
Relationships: Brian May/Freddie Mercury, Chris "Crystal" Taylor/Roger Taylor, John Deacon/Chris "Crystal" Taylor/Roger Taylor, John Deacon/Roger Taylor
Comments: 14
Kudos: 19





	1. The Empire

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen" by Richard Thompson

A national holiday has been declared so that all citizens of the Empire can watch as the last ship makes a victorious return from the war. The Rhapsody is carrying the heroes of the battle of Gliayse – what’s left of the crew credited with saving not only the troop carrier Princes of the Universe from certain destruction but also protecting the hospital ship Saviour. 

A small vessel, the Rhapsody is designed to speed advanced weaponry to the heart of any fight. All of the other ships returned in late summer but the Rhapsody was too badly damaged and has been undergoing repairs. And so the ship is due to limp in to the London space port around a month later than the other returning fighters.

000

The radio broadcasts the news of the national holiday to the occupants of the Kensington Palace Collection. “The crew won’t disembark right away,” Roger notes. “What’s the use of having the day off just to gawp at a ship docking?”

“A day off is a day off,” one of the Keepers points out. The Keepers will not get the day off. Nor will their charges. Still, Roger thinks he can detect a slight frown on the face of this Keeper despite the mesh mask obscuring his face and he does not voice this fact. Instead, he says, “All I’m saying is that it’d make more sense to give us a day off when they are getting their medals and suchlike.”

“Are you questioning the judgement of the Emperor, Taylor?” the Keeper asks frostily.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Sir,” Roger drawls.

“Good. Keep it that way. The Emperor provides the roof over your head, the clothes on your back and the food you eat. Show some respect.” The Keeper turns and walks away without waiting for a response. 

000

A national holiday will not change anything for the occupants of the Palace, of course. Their routine does not vary. The wake up bell rings. They rise and make their beds. They use the communal wash rooms at the ends of their respective dormitories. They file down to the dining room for breakfast. After breakfast the younger ones have school lessons and the older ones carry out the chores they are responsible for. Then they file back into the dining room for lunch. The afternoons are spent on acquiring accomplishments – embroidery, perhaps or painting watercolours or learning a musical instrument. Then back to the dining room for dinner. They can then do as they please – visit the gym or read in the library or listen to the radio in the leisure room. If a group of them wish to venture outside for a walk in the grounds they may do so providing they are accompanied by a Keeper.

And so, on the national holiday designated for the return of the Rhapsody the only difference is that they all – staff and Keepers included – gather in the leisure room in the evening to watch the usually banned television and see the ship dock. There is a murmur of conversation. Will the ship show visible signs of damage? Is it true that each one of the crew will receive a Victoria Cross? 

Someone asks why the highest military award is called a Victoria Cross? Following a mocking reply they say testily that of course they understand the medal is shaped like a cross, but who was Victoria?

“She was an ancient queen,” Roger informs them. She lived here once, he thinks, but he does not mention this, hugging the knowledge to himself. 

No one questions him about this – they have found that when checked his answers to their questions are always correct. “A queen,” Freddie murmurs. Next to him Roger jumps slightly as a fanfare accompanies the start of the television broadcast. 

Silence descends as the broadcast begins. The screen shows the space ship approaching the docking bay high in the sky over London. Black smoke trails behind the ship which lists to one side. The viewers in the leisure room gasp in unison as the cameras zoom in on the scarred and dented sides of the ship. “I’m amazed any of them lived,” Freddie sighs.

When the Rhapsody had left for war the crew had numbered six. Now, everyone considers themselves on first name terms with the three surviving crew members. The badly injured Captain Miami – revered for his quick thinking and calm leadership. Second Officer John – known for his bravery and the engineering ingenuity that has saved the ship. Navigator Brian - who set a course designed to remove the crippled ship from further danger.

“I bet they’re all gorgeous,” Freddie murmurs as the broadcast recounts the oft told tale of the ship’s brave defence of troop carrier Princes of the Universe and defensive manoeuvres to protect the hospital ship Saviour.

Roger snorts, “They’re more likely to be decrepit shells of their former selves with missing limbs and so on,” he remarks. 

The presenter confides in hushed tones that the three survivors are all Alphas, as if there can possibly be a single person on the planet who does not know that by now. Roger rolls his eyes then gasps with everyone else as the presenter announces that the Emperor has just decreed that the three Alphas on board the Rhapsody are to be rewarded for their service by being allowed to choose any Omega they wish.

A ripple of excitement runs through the Omegas watching the broadcast in the Palace. The presenter continues, “All Omegas of marriageable age from each Omega Palace in the Empire will be invited to a masquerade ball after the ceremony when our heroic Alphas will receive their medals. The Alphas will then choose their mates.”

000

The exhausted crew of the Rhapsody breathe a collective sigh of relief as the ship settles on to the docking cradle with no difficulty. They had thought they would need at least two attempts to line the stricken vessel up properly with the cradle which would have been humiliating – although John thinks that perhaps he has now moved beyond caring what others think – the opinions of other people have ceased to matter - but they have managed it perfectly first time. He sighs. “We’re home,” he mutters. Brian simply nods. Perhaps, like John, he simply feels numb now. Miami, sedated in his bunk to deaden the pain he is in is numb in a different way, of course.

000

There is a loud clang as the ship docks - the engines whir loudly for a moment then die. The screen broadcasts images of the people in the docking tower control room cheering. They are there for show, Roger suspects. Robots and computer programs will have done most of the actual work along with the men piloting the ship of course. 

The presenter chirps that the heroic Alphas of the Rhapsody have arrived home safely and isn’t that wonderful? The broadcast concludes with another fanfare which makes Roger jump again. 

A babble of excited chatter rises in the room. “We’ll be presented to them,” Freddie notes, in a dazed voice. “We’ll see if they are gorgeous or decrepit.”

Roger shrugs. “I’ll probably be in heat on the day of the ball and unable to present myself for inspection,” he mutters.

Freddie looks stricken, “But darling, this would be our route out of here, to another life!”

Roger shrugs again, unsure this is actually the case. In the unlikely event that one of the Rhapsody Alphas chose one of them then surely they would simply exchange one prison for another. “They’ll have a choice of any Omega in the Empire. That’s most of the world, Freddie! They’re not going to choose us.”

“I’ve heard there are hardly any of us left,” Dominique murmurs, having overheard Roger. 

Roger shakes his head. “There’s Paris,” he begins.

“Versailles was destroyed by fire two years ago,” Dominique tells him. “All of the Omegas of marriageable age perished. I have family near there and they told me. There are still some younger ones though. They have a temporary place in some other chateau.”

Roger looks shocked. “Granada, then,” he ventures, “the Alhambra.”

“The fools in charge there had made modifications to the original building,” Dominique informs him grimly. “The ancient builders had made it earthquake proof but once the idiots currently in charge had made alterations it was no longer earthquake proof. Only two people survived when an earthquake wrecked the place. That was around five years ago now.”

“The creepy pyramid one in Egypt must still be operational,” Roger hisses, plastering a smile on his face as a Keeper looks their way. 

“Entombed,” Freddie says with a little shudder.

“A Keeper went crazy there,” Dominique says softly, “The few who survived his murderous rampage were disfigured and... Well, let’s just say they won’t be attending the ball.”

“But... Well, how about Botswana?” Roger asks, “There’s a collection there, isn’t there and another in Cape Town.”

“No one seems to be very sure what happened in Gaborone,” Dominique replies, “but the rumour is that the Omegas escaped. There is another rumour that their home was attacked and they were taken.”

“And Cape Town,” Freddie wonders. 

“That was very tragic,” Dominique murmurs, “Their water supply was accidentally poisoned. No one survived.” 

“So...” Roger sighs. “Which Palaces have survived?” he whispers. 

“Apart from this one there are only two others,” Dominique says, “one in Panama City and one in Tokyo.”

Roger considers this. “But...”

She nods. “Yes, the Tokyo Omegas are all promised to officials of the Empire. And I hear Panama City has very few Omegas of marriageable age. We don’t have many marriageable Omegas either. So we shall go to the ball and have a real chance of being picked.” 

000

The following morning at breakfast one of the Keepers reads out a list of Omegas he wants to remain in the dining hall once they have finished eating. Roger realises that all of the Omegas of marriageable age have been asked to remain behind. There are twelve of them. He is glad he is sitting with Freddie and Phoebe – he feels unaccountably nervous. This will simply be an announcement that they will be attending the masquerade ball which he already knows, of course, so there is no reason for his strange apprehension. 

The announcement does indeed start with that news. Then Roger is surprised to see the Collector sweep into the room in a swirl of dark robes, his dark veil shrouding his face – more flamboyant but less practical than the mesh masks and overalls that protect the identities of the Keepers.

Roger wonders, as he sometimes does, why the people in charge feel the need to hide their faces. 

The Collector waits for the murmurs of surprise to fade before saying, “Precious Omegas of the fabled Kensington Palace collection – as you have heard - you shall go to the ball! On the day of the ball you shall attend the festivities in honour of the heroic Alphas of the Rhapsody. Perhaps one of you shall be one of their chosen ones. In order to make certain that all of you are able to attend the ball today we will study your cycles and provide medication to either induce or delay your heats. The Keepers shall find you when they are ready to start administering the drugs we have selected for you. Go forth and resume your usual routines in the meantime.”

Roger stands and began to clear breakfast dishes - one of his allotted tasks. “I’ll see you at lunch,” he murmurs to Freddie and Phoebe.

000

Brian experiences a stab of fear as he awakens. He is not in his normal bunk on board the Rhapsody. He feels a moment of panic – has he been captured – before remembering that he is home.

Well, back on earth, anyway.

The bed he is occupying is more comfortable and much wider than the bunk. The room is a similarly plain functional space. 

He wonders what has happened to Miami who was taken for medical treatment as soon as they landed. He has been separated from John – Brian was taken to be debriefed and he assumes John was too. It had taken a while. It had been strange to see other people – it has just been the three of them for so long and just the two of them really since Miami’s condition worsened.

There had been a medical examination, access to washing facilities and clean clothes and then he had been given a sleeping pill and escorted to this bedroom. He wonders now if the door is locked.

As he stares at the door it opens a crack and someone – slightly belatedly in Brian’s opinion - knocks on it. “Bri?” a voice calls.

“John,” Brian grins as John slides into the room.

“I’m in the room across the hall,” John tells him. He is wearing the same loose white clothing as Brian is. “Your name is on the door of this one.”

“Has anyone told you anything?” Brian asks. But John is as uninformed as Brian is.

They compare stories from the night before and their tales are similar. They would both like to know how Miami is. John returns to his own room to await orders and Brian feels a sense of loss. It is ridiculous of course. He knows it is simply because they have been so much in each other’s company for the last while but he feels it anyway.

He is not sure John is the one person from the crew he would have chosen to spend all that time with. Brian feels immediately guilty for thinking this. John kept the ship alive. John kept them alive.

Still, John was not one of Brian’s friends amongst the crew when they started their voyage. Are they friends now, he wonders? Thrown together by circumstances they have some sort of bond he thinks but is it friendship? Does John see him as a friend? It seems essential to know yet he is much too terrified of the answer to ask.

000

It feels odd being separated from Brian. John frowns. There were moments – quite a lot of moments if he is being honest – when he would have welcomed being separated from Brian.

John has always needed time alone and that has been in very short supply over the last few months. He suddenly realises just how exhausted he is. He sits down on the bed overwhelmed by feelings of grief for the crew members they could not save and for the life he was leading before all of this. 

They are home but he is not sure what that means.

000

Roger’s heat will be induced. He almost successfully suppresses a grimace when the Keeper tells him so. Delaying a heat is an easier process for the body and for the emotions. Bringing a heat forward is usually only done as a last resort due to the stress it places on the body – and mind- of the Omega. The Keeper’s head is tilted as if he is expecting something further from Roger and Roger realises he is expected to say thank you. He does so, the words jumbled in his mouth due to his incredulity that he is expected to express gratitude for this. He thinks the Keeper might be smiling although it is so hard to tell through the mask and thinks the tumble of his words has been mistaken for true eagerness. 

He is dismissed and hurries to the dining room as it is lunchtime. Freddie and Phoebe have saved him a seat. The room is abuzz with Omegas discussing the ball even if they are not amongst those who will be attending.

Roger discovers that only one of the other Omega’s who will be going to the ball will have their heat brought forward. He wonders if he is being punished. Although the other Omega who has been sentenced to a similar fate is a meek mild and obedient woman Roger cannot imagine ever requiring punishment. So perhaps it is as the Keeper said and merely due to where he is in his cycle right now.

Freddie is excitedly wondering what they will be given to wear and although Roger still feels irrationally uneasy about the event this does stir his curiosity. He glances down at his standard issue navy overalls and wonders what clothes the Emperor will deem suitable for them to be paraded in front of the Alpha heroes in. 

Phoebe is asking if they think there will be a meal before the ball. Roger listlessly pushes his regulation slop around his bowl and hopes so. Although if they eat actual food instead of this tasteless mush will they become ill? He imagines puking on the shiny shoes of an Alpha hero. 

He flinches as a Keeper appears unexpectedly at his elbow and thrusts a little cup with two orange pills into his hand. “Your new medication,” the Keeper explains, standing over Roger until he has swallowed the two pills.

He wonders how long it will take. 

000

Freddie does not understand Roger’s apparent ambivalence towards the ball. At the very least it means they will escape from the Palace for an evening. There will be music and dancing. Freddie’s eyes brighten at the thought of this. 

They will almost certainly have new clothes. Freddie glances down at his drab overalls with distaste. 

They will meet new people at the ball. They will meet Alphas.

Freddie has met a handful of Alphas before of course – but not recently – not since he became part of the collection when he was ten years old. The Keepers are all Betas, naturally. 

Of course, he can understand why Roger does not want to have his heat induced. Freddie has heard this is unpleasant, that it can even be dangerous. But the Keepers would not have suggested it unless it was safe. Possibly if people try to do it themselves it is risky but they are well cared for. It is true that the food is no longer as good or plentiful as it once was and the building is in need of some repair but now that the war is over there will be more money. Freddie has never met an Omega who had their heat brought forward but he imagines the scare stories are exaggerated. These things always are.

Really, Roger can be very dramatic sometimes.

000

John and Brian are taken to a room bristling with officials. They both snap to attention and salute in a perfectly synchronised display of obedience. John is not sure he really feels like obeying these jowly men however. A subversive thought that is best kept securely in his own mind, perhaps.

“At ease, gentlemen!” a jovial portly man in a ridiculous uniform festooned with braid and dripping with medals cries. John does not think this man would last a second on board a ship under fire. It seems impossible the medals have been earned.

And they are not gentlemen, John reflects.

If anything they are the very opposite of gentlemen.

He stands at ease and feels rather than sees Brian relax his stance next to him. 

John listens, incredulous, as the jovial man tells him that they will remain in their present accommodation to recover from what the man refers to as their ‘ordeal’ until the day when the Emperor will present them with medals and they will then attend a ball held in their honour at which they can choose to take any Omega from the Empire’s Collections as their mate. John is careful to keep his face expressionless but it is difficult. 

The jovial man is looking expectantly at them as if he is a parent waiting to watch their child tear open the birthday present they have been requesting for months. “That is a great honour, Sir,” Brian croaks next to him.

John nods and mumbles, “Indeed, Sir,” and hopes this will be sufficient.

The jovial man chuckles and clucks, “I understand, gentlemen that you would probably prefer as little fuss as possible but I’m afraid you are heroes as far as everyone in the Empire is concerned and a fuss shall be made, Sirs, yes indeed!”

John manages a small polite smile. He thinks he can imagine the expression of polite bewilderment Brian will be sporting.

Another man, this one lean with closely cropped hair and an immaculate uniform, leans forward over the table. “Captain Beach is responding well to medical care and we have high hopes that he will be able to join you for the medal ceremony and the ball.”

John’s smile this time is broad and genuine. “That is wonderful news, Sir,” he says and hears Brian agree enthusiastically. It occurs to him that he is probably expected to know who all of these grand people are but he also feels he would grudge this fairly useless knowledge taking up space in his brain.

“Well,” the jovial man says, “you’ll be given your recovery schedules by your dedicated nursing staff. We won’t detain you any longer.”

000

They hear it from Dominique first. She is always first with news. “Jenny died last night,” she informs them grimly.

Freddie stares at her. “Died?” he echoes. He shakes his head. Jenny was younger than him. 

Jenny was having her heat induced prior to the masquerade ball. Like Roger is.

“How?” he whispers urgently, glancing at an approaching Keeper. They are filing towards the dining hall for breakfast.

“Complications arising from inducing her heat,” Dominique mutters, confirming Freddie’s worst fears. 

But perhaps – although he is very sad about Jenny’s untimely death – this will be good for Roger. Perhaps they will review his medication and make it safer. At the very least they will monitor him more closely. Won’t they?

000

Roger’s medication and monitoring routine continue unaltered. There is no official announcement about Jenny’s death. Phoebe – always a favourite with the Keepers – asks how she is, feigning concern about not seeing her at breakfast or lunch – and is told she has been taken to the heat suite to have her heat monitored. And since they all spend time in the heat suite when they have their heats this is perfectly plausible.

Freddie hopes that Dominique has been mistaken. Yet he knows that she is not. The decisions the Keepers have made about Jenny’s health have killed her. And nothing is being done to prevent that happening to Roger. 

He fusses over Roger’s diet, giving him his own small portions of fruit and encouraging him to exercise. Perhaps if Roger is in the best possible physical condition he will survive this.

Roger is phlegmatic about it. “What will be, will be,” he says. He sounds serene but the way his foot is tapping on the floor causes Freddie to think Roger is concerned about this too – ‘this’ being dying.

When Freddie thinks about the masquerade ball now he is no longer excited about it – he is no longer curious about what their outfits will be like or what the food will be like or even how dashing the Alphas will be – he is simply terrified that he will have to go to the ball without Roger by his side. 

000

At first, when John had been told they would be given dancing lessons he had thought it was a joke. When he realised his assistant did not have a sense of humour and wouldn’t dream of joking about anything he resigned himself to the prospect of suffering through the dancing lessons.

He is surprised to discover he loves the dancing lessons.

The rest of his days are filled with informational lectures either in person or on-screen about what they had missed while they had been away at war. The dancing lessons are a blissful hour away from this grim reality. 

The war has evidently had a significant adverse impact on the finances of the Empire. There have been other misfortunes too. John is shocked to discover that almost all of the Omega Palaces have been destroyed. There are vague hints that acts of terrorism have caused this state of affairs although there appears to be no concrete evidence.

John feels shocked and saddened for the families of the Omegas who perished in these disasters. He also thinks that perhaps the loss of the Omega collections serves the Empire right. But these thoughts make him uneasy because of the loss of life. If the Omegas had simply been freed that would have been a different story. John suspects he would have (secretly, of course) applauded a terrorist organisation that freed the captive Omegas.

John’s stomach lurches at the thought of the ball. He has no wish to see Omegas paraded in front of him like cattle at a county fair. He has no desire to be given a person as if they were a piece of property – as if he could own someone. 

The dancing lessons offer some relief from these dark thoughts. He can lose himself in the music – in the timing – the rhythm – and for all too short a period of time everything seems bearable.

000

Brian sometimes looks at John spinning his partner around the floor and wishes he had some of John’s natural grace. He apologises for at least the third time as he stands on his partner’s foot. She is always very polite about it – she is one of the physiotherapists on the base and has cheerily informed him she volunteered for the dancing lessons as she fancied learning how to dance and also because it was an honour to meet him and John. She has been taking care of Miami too, Brian has discovered and so the best part of the dancing lessons for Brian is getting an update on how Miami is doing.

They have only seen Miami a couple of times and each time he has been propped up on pillows in bed looking exhausted. The conversation was restricted to polite queries about Miami’s health which have invariably elicited the reply that he is on the mend and he will be just fine. 

The physiotherapist whose foot he keeps crushing has painted a more realistic picture for him. Miami is painstakingly learning to walk again. He is gradually regaining some movement in his injured hand. It is going to be a slow process. 

Brian sometimes suspects that even with his mobility severely restricted Miami would probably dance better than Brian does. Sometimes he feels everyone in the entire world could dance better than he can. He reflects gloomily that none of the accomplished and beautiful Omegas will want him. Not that they will have any choice, of course. This bothers him but there is no possible way of refusing the honour of being gifted an Omega from one of the Collections. 

Brian is horrified when the dancing instructor cheerfully announces that they will be expected to select an Omega for the first dance of the evening. “All eyes will be upon you!” the dancing instructor beams. His smile fades a little as he glances at Brian. 

Brian hopes all of the Omegas will be wearing sturdy footwear to protect their pretty, delicate, feet. 

000

Roger writhes on the bed, kicking the sheet off. He is too hot. His body aches all over. His head is pounding – it feels like it might break apart. He suspects his body might crack and shatter if he moves in the wrong way. He groans. Waves of pain wrack his body as cramps possess him. 

One of the Keepers is sponging him down and murmuring soothing words that Roger is too distressed to make sense of. He thinks the Keeper has said something like, “He’ll be here soon.”

He had been taken to the heat suite when his heat had started. Roger has never had a heat like this before though. The toys available for him to use to achieve an unsatisfactory artificial knot lie near the bed but this time Roger is incapable of doing anything except bracing himself for the next wave of pain.

Suddenly there is a delicious citrus scent – an Alpha. Roger moans. He wants. He needs. He feels a rush of slick soaking the sheets beneath him. But everything hurts.

A new voice murmurs, “You’re in a bad way aren’t you?” He feels a cool cloth being placed on his hot forehead. “What’s his name?” the new voice asks. He hears his name being said from further away – by the Keeper from earlier he thinks. “Roger,” the new voice says softly, “I’m a Servicing Alpha. If you consent I can help you.”

Roger thinks his alarm is showing on his face – the Omega collections must remain untouched – as the voice hastily continues “Only you and I and the Keeper would know.” The voice is considerably less calm when the Alpha adds, “And I want you.”

“Want you too,” Roger groans. “Please.” Even when at risk of dying an Omega of the Kensington Collection should remain polite.

The Alpha loses no time in ripping off the shirt Roger has been wearing. His hands, with calloused fingers run over Roger’s chest. “Beautiful,” the Alpha tells him. “Look at you, all needy and pretty.” Roger feels lips pressed to his hot skin. The Alpha kisses his way down Roger’s chest – down, down – then licks Roger’s hard weeping cock. “Aren’t you lovely?” the Alpha says. 

“Please,” Roger gasps. He can feel warm breath on his neck.

“No biting,” the Keeper calls- his voice loud and anxious. “He is not for you, prisoner.”

For a moment Roger thinks the Keeper is referring to him and wonders at this acknowledgement that the Omegas are prisoners. Then he realises the Keeper means the Alpha. 

“Mine,” the Alpha rumbles.

“Punishable by death,” the Keeper barks.

The Alpha gives an amused little huff. “I already have a death sentence,” he declares.

“That may change,” the Keeper sounds rather desperate now, “But not if you bond with one of the jewels of the collection.”

“Jewel,” Roger murmurs hazily. He is a jewel.

“Pretty little jewel,” the Alpha agrees and Roger gasps as strong arms wind around his chest, lifting him slightly off the bed and he feels the Alpha’s cock enter him. 

Roger comes almost immediately with a little cry. It is too much. He feels as if he is floating on a wave of pain and need. 

The Alpha thrusts into him, murmuring, “You’re my pretty little Omega – such a beauty – my jewel - you’re so lovely Roger.” He chants Roger’s name as he builds up speed. 

The Alpha utters a little cry and Roger feels the Alpha’s knot fill him and gives a little cry of pleasure too. It is so much better than any toy. “It’s all right, darling jewel, I’ve got you,” the Alpha murmurs in his ear. “You’re mine,” he states again.

000

It becomes slightly easier. The Alpha stays with him. If his lips stray too close to Roger’s neck the Keeper lashes his back with a whip. A pool of blood, slick, semen and sweat gathers beneath them on the sheets. 

Roger wonders how close he had been to dying. It has been a time of extremes – feeling death must surely be near one moment then experiencing the ecstasy of the Alpha’s knot the next. Somewhere at the back of his mind Roger knows that letting him be touched must have been a desperate measure – he is no longer pure.

But he is alive. 

000

John looks uncomfortably at the screen as images of the Omegas who will be at the ball flick up one after the other. He glances at Brian but is unable to tell what he is thinking. He thinks he sees Brian’s eyes widen as an image of a striking looking dark haired man appears. John then finds his own attention captured by a beautiful blond with an almost ethereal beauty.

All of the Omegas are very good-looking, naturally. The collections house the most attractive Omegas in the Empire. They have been taken from their families as children and taught genteel accomplishments such as embroidery, playing the piano or painting as well as learning how to run a household and to please their Alpha. They are in training to be married to the most elite Alphas in the Empire. 

It has been this way for as long as anyone can remember but it makes John uncomfortable. The idea that he is going to be given one of these people as if they are objects – possessions - to be passed from hand to hand makes him very uncomfortable indeed. 

He hears low voices at the back of the room and strains to make out what they are saying. “...induced heat...died...other one...prize Omega...had to...service...not only touched but by a criminal...”

000

They are hosed down with lukewarm water. Roger supposes at least it isn’t cold water. The Alpha chivalrously moves slightly in front of him to protect him a little from the force of the stream. 

Roger dries himself with a threadbare towel and pulls on the clean underwear and overalls that have been left out for him. The Alpha is hauling on a similar outfit. “Thank you,” Roger says softly, “I think you saved my life.”

“My pleasure, gorgeous,” the man murmurs. He glances at the Keeper by the door and adds, very softly, “I’m Chris Taylor – Crystal – by the way.”

“I’ll be forever indebted to you,” Roger tells him. 

“I enjoyed it, little jewel of the collection,” Crystal says with a grin just before the Keeper opens the door and two prison guards enter to seize Crystal and march him out of the room. 

000

Roger had expected to be taken back to his dormitory and is surprised and unnerved to be taken to see the Collector. He has never set foot in the Collector’s office before and glances around at the bookcases and cosy fire burning in the grate. There is a heavy wooden desk in the room but the Collector is sitting in one of the comfortable chairs by the fire and indicates that Roger should take the other seat.

Roger nervously perches on the edge of the seat, poised for flight. The Keeper who escorted him here has taken up a position by the door.

“I am so sorry this happened to you, Roger,” the Collector purrs in his deep velvety voice. “To save your life we were forced to take action and provide an Alpha to assist you, as you know. You will still attend the masquerade ball but I’m afraid we must inform the Alpha heroes that you are no longer pure. I regret this may affect your marriage prospects.”

Roger stares into the fire, watching the flames dance and flicker over the logs. “Yes, Sir,” he says dully. For what is there to say, really? He will no longer be desired by any respectable Alpha. He will be moved to the House of Joy, he thinks – the brothel where the less fortunate Omegas end up.

So he is surprised when the Collector says, “After the ball we will arrange a marriage for you as soon as possible. It is a pity that it will of necessity be to someone of much lower rank than you could have had before...Still, we shall endeavour to obtain the best possible match under the circumstances.”

“That’s very kind of you, Sir,” Roger croaks. He almost means it. They must feel very guilty. He suspects they get money for each match they make, however, and the higher the position of the Alpha the more money they get. So perhaps it is in the interests of the Collector to marry him off even if he is damaged goods. “Sir,” he ventures unsure how this question will be received, “what will happen to the Alpha? He was very kind.”

The Collector steeples his hands and casts a benevolent eye on Roger. “You are very sweet-natured,” he sighs, “such a pity...Regrettably the servicing Alpha has been sentenced to death. He may receive a lesser sentence due to his service here but I have no control over that, alas.”

Roger does not really believe that the Collector has no friends in high places he could speak to in order to stop the execution of the kind Alpha but he nods as if he understands perfectly and the Collector moves on to speak of the extra rations he will receive while he recuperates and the exercise regime they have decided upon for him. 

000

The following day they are only shown the image of the other-worldly blond on the screen and John listens with mounting horror as they are told that this Omega had his heat induced in preparation for the ball. The medication taken to achieve this caused the Omega to become dangerously ill during his heat and the Collector was forced to bring in a servicing Alpha to assist him.

“The Omega will still attend the masquerade ball,” they are told, “however we felt it best to make you aware of his situation.”

John looks at the beautiful face in front of him whose life has effectively been ruined because of this stupid ball – because of them. He thinks of all the others whose lives he has ended or turned upside down and feels physically sick. “This is...” This is wrong, he wants to choke out. This is wrong and should not have happened. “That is terrible,” he gasps instead.

Brian nods. “That poor boy,” he murmurs, “he has such a pretty face, too.”

“What will happen to him?” John asks. He does not want to know the answer. He has to know the answer. 

He is hastily assured that the Omega – Roger – the Omega is called Roger – will be found a decent match after the ball. “It won’t be as advantageous a position as he would have been able to command before but he will be taken care of.”

Somehow that sounds ominous although John knows it is intended to reassure them. “Unless one of us wants him, of course,” he notes, keeping his voice light.

The member of staff smiles and agrees that this will only be Roger’s fate if Brian or John or Miami don’t want him. It is plain that the expectation is that no one who knows Roger is no longer pure will want him.

John takes another long, hungry, look at Roger’s lovely face before it vanishes from the screen.

000

Freddie does not know what to say to Roger. That he is alive – that he has a future – is wonderful, of course. That his future will be completely different from what he might have expected is – less wonderful. 

Roger himself is uncharacteristically quiet. A thin, subdued Roger has emerged from the heat suite and Freddie wonders unhappily if the bright lively Roger who entered that room has been lost forever.

Roger has given Freddie a brief outline of what happened – his voice clipped. He has refused to speak further of it. “What is there to say?” he said when Freddie tried to coax him into opening up about how he felt. His tone was bitter and that was so unlike Roger that it almost frightened Freddie. 

The ball is in two weeks time now and they are being measured for their costumes today. Normally Freddie would be overjoyed by this but normally he would be telling Roger what his dream costume would be and how he would dress Roger and they would be giggling in a corner. What has happened to Roger has taken the light and the joy out of everything, he finds. 

000

Brian is worried about John. What has happened to the little blond Omega is a tragedy, of course, but John almost seems to blame himself. 

They have taken to meeting in Brian’s room before breakfast each morning. The rooms may be (almost certainly are) bugged, of course, so they never discuss anything that they would mind being overheard. 

“You seemed very upset about the little blond Omega,” Brian ventures the morning after they have been told about him. “It is very upsetting, of course,” he adds hastily. 

“The ball is happening because of us,” John sighs, “and I can’t help but feel that we are responsible – that we are to blame.”

“It was an unfortunate accident,” Brian tells him in soothing tones, “I’m sure the Omega was excited about attending the ball. It just...It was just one of those things, John. You can’t blame yourself.”

But he thought John was blaming himself anyway. “Did you...Did you find him particularly attractive?” Brian asks sympathetically. 

John nods. “I still do,” he states with a defiant look on his face. 

Brian is startled by this. The Omega was lovely of course however he is no longer fit for the upper echelons of society. “Are you...Would you...?”

“I would like to at least dance with him,” John mutters. “And...Well...We would never normally meet Omegas of this calibre...He would be perfectly suitable for one of us...”

Brian nods his agreement with this feeling slightly ashamed for his earlier thoughts. The Omega may no longer be fit for the upper echelons of society but Brian is never likely to move in those circles either. Still...”Choosing him knowing...That might have an adverse impact on your chances of promotion...”

John shrugs. “It might,” he concedes, sounding unconcerned. 

000

The outfits are...flimsy. Freddie picks up the gauzy scraps of material and flushes at the mere thought of being in public wearing so little.

“We will look like whores,” Dominique grumbles. 

“Perhaps they won’t be so bad once we are wearing them,” Phoebe offers weakly. 

There is a concept, they are told. They will look like the scantily clad members of a harem. Gauzy veils will cover their hair and faces and brief mostly transparent material will be draped around them.

“I suppose we should be grateful they’re letting us wear knickers,” Roger mutters and, for the first time in a long time, grins at Freddie.

“Our charms will definitely be on display,” Freddie sighs. It was not what he had hoped for but the outfits are undeniably dramatic.

000

They have been measured for suits and are together for their final fitting. John thinks how good Brian looks in his suit – long and lean. John feels stumpy by comparison and faintly ridiculous – he is much more accustomed to overalls – he feels silly and uncomfortable in a suit – an imposter - just as he feels as if his dress uniform is wearing him.

“You look great,” Brian tells him, pulling at his shirt collar. 

John realises Brian may not be comfortable either. “You look very elegant,” he assures Brian. 

They both look up in surprise as the door opens and they are both astonished and delighted to see Miami limp in. He enters the room leaning heavily on a cane with his injured hand encased in a large black glove. The scar snaking down the side of his face stands out in stark contrast to the paleness of his skin but he is alive and mobile and it is little short of a miracle John thinks.

They both hug Miami – awkward careful hugs as they don’t want to hurt him. He is recovering well he tells them. He can walk a little further every day. He can pick things up with his hand now – which is amazing considering it almost had to be amputated. And he will be able to attend the ball so he is here to see if his suit fits.

It takes a while for Miami to change into his suit so they have time to talk to him. “I hear you have expressed a preference for the disgraced Omega?” Miami tells John, his eyes twinkling. 

John flushes. “He’s beautiful,” he mutters. 

“He is,” Miami agrees. 

They had all been asked if, after seeing the photographs and reading the files of the Omegas who would be attending the ball, they were particularly keen to meet any of them. John has chosen Roger and Brian has opted for the dark haired beauty they now know is called Freddie.

“I’m not being kind,” John continues defensively, feeling as if he must defend his choice, “I was attracted to him when we saw the first set of pictures which was before we were told...”

Miami nods. “I’m not criticising your choice,” he says softly, “Roger is very lovely and seems highly accomplished. If the unfortunate event had not occurred he would have been very desirable. He does seem a bold choice now, however.”

John shrugs, feeling defiant. “I don’t care,” he states, “I don’t move in polite society. And I think he will make me happy.”

“I hope he will,” Miami says, “You both deserve unending happiness.”

“So do you,” Brian tells him softly, “Is there an Omega you have your eye on?”

Miami has been drawn to the Omega whose nickname is Phoebe. He looked kind and gentle, John recalls, and thinks perhaps he will be a good choice to help Miami as he recovers from his injuries.

Of course, they may change their minds at the ball. Meeting in person is a very different thing from seeing images on a screen. 

000

Freddie had not expected to feel so nervous. They have spent all week preparing for the ball. They have had beauty treatments and hair styling sessions. They have been given reminders of the rules of etiquette they should be following. And today – the day of the ball - has been a whirl of scented baths and massages with scented oils and the careful application of make-up. 

Their flimsy outfits are a rainbow – a kaleidoscope – of different colours. Freddie is shimmering deep red and Roger is in sparkling blue that matches his eyes. Phoebe wears a much darker blue with silver highlights like stars shining in a midnight blue sky. Dominique is dazzling in fire-engine red.

They are given their final instructions and reminders by the Collector and then they board the bus that will take them to the palace. Freddie feels a flutter of excitement at the prospect of going to the palace. He realises for the first time that the Emperor will be in attendance. He clasps Roger’s hand and squeezes it. Roger returns the pressure. They are forbidden from speaking now unless they are spoken to.

000

The mood at the palace is sombre. The shuttle bringing the Panama City Omegas to the ball crashed with complete loss of life. The news is being covered up, of course, but the Hero Alphas have been informed so they are aware that only the Kensington Palace Omegas will be in attendance.

The medal ceremony was filmed for broadcast at a later date and the arrival of the Kensington Palace collection will be filmed too – for the vast majority of the population of the Empire this will be their only chance to catch even a tiny glimpse of the fabled Omegas. John is glad there is no live broadcast. He is relieved that the medal ceremony went without a hitch and now they simply have to endure the dinner and then the ball. And there will be dancing and he can finally meet Roger. He feels a little flutter of excitement at the thought.

The Omegas will be at the dinner but will sit together at a separate table. John has asked for his first dance to be with Roger and that will be when they first meet properly. However, he hopes he will be able to spy Roger at dinner. 

The Omegas will be masked, of course. Everyone will be. John, Brian and Miami have masks that cover their eyes. They are all in dark suits but their masks sparkle and shimmer. Brian is wearing a white mask which glitters. John’s mask is a golden colour and also shines. Miami has a dazzling silver mask.

They are waiting at the moment in a small ante-room. There has been a lot of waiting. Everything happens with great ceremony. People have to enter rooms in a certain order. The Emperor takes precedence over everyone, of course. They are currently waiting for the Emperor to lead the procession into the banqueting room. John’s stomach rumbles and he flushes. It has been a long day with little food. 

000

The Emperor has an elaborate mask symbolic of the sun. Freddie thinks he could easily accidentally stab someone with the sun-ray spokes of his mask. Freddie is sitting between two Keepers who have been specially selected to attend the ball to “assist” (watch) the Omegas. The Collector is there too but he is sitting much closer to the Emperor’s table – an honour – a mark of respect.

The Emperor gives a speech before they eat. Freddie has not eaten all day and fears the speech might go on forever – although he has a knot in his stomach that might prevent him from eating and it intensified when the Collector drew Freddie, Roger and Phoebe to one side just after they entered the palace to make them aware that the Hero Alphas have requested them for the first dance. Phoebe will not actually have to dance as his Alpha is injured. Freddie has been selected to dance with Brian and Roger – astonishingly – has been selected by John.

Usefully, the Emperor gestures to each Alpha Hero as he mentions them and Freddie learns that the Alpha with the magnificent hair is Brian, the slightly older, injured Alpha is Miami and the smouldering Alpha with the closely cropped hair is John.

Freddie was not sure what he had expected but it was not these very real looking men. He had been expecting classical statues made flesh perhaps – fantastical beauty. Real – and very good-looking – was better.

000

Roger’s hand is shaking slightly as he spoons soup into his mouth. It tastes delicious compared to the slop they normally eat and he takes a moment to savour the burst of flavour. It is worth being here for the food, he tells himself.

He was amazed earlier when the Collector told him that one of the Alpha Heroes has asked for his hand for the first dance. The man no doubt feels sorry for Roger. The Collector had murmured to him just after this announcement that the Alphas were all aware of what had happened to him. One of them – John – has evidently decided to offer him the consolation prize of the first dance.

He wishes he had been able to sit next to Freddie so they could whisper about the Alphas – about everything. The tall one wants to dance with Freddie and Roger thinks that might prove amusing and he would have liked to tease Freddie about it. John looks intense – a proper hero. 

000

The aide sitting next to John had murmured that Roger was the Omega wearing shimmering blue. Not the dark blue, he had added lest there was any confusion. That was Phoebe. And Freddie was in the darker red. It wasn’t possible to really see them beneath their veils and the masks over their eyes.

Almost everyone in the room is an Alpha or an Omega. Everyone has made use of scent blockers to avoid the mingling scents from being overpowering. Even so John thinks the scents of the assembled Omegas are drifting deliciously through the room. 

000

Every now and then Roger thinks he catches a citrusy scent on the air. It reminds him a little of the lemony aroma of Crystal, the servicing Alpha. Was it one of the Alphas in the room? Or was it wafting through the air from one of the table decorations?

Despite the scent blockers they had used the air seemed intoxicating. Roger supposes there are simply too many people and the blockers aren’t quite good enough at completely masking scents. He wonders who the citrusy scent belongs to – assuming it is one of the Alphas of course. 

000

The Emperor makes yet another speech before the dancing can commence. For the first dance only the Emperor and the Hero Alphas and their partners will be on the floor.

Roger gathers that the Emperor has given no indication of which Omega he intends to select as his partner for the first dance and this is causing a very hushed ripple of disquiet amongst the palace aides and the Omega Keepers. The Omegas kneel obediently on cushions the same colour as their outfits at the far end of the room waiting to be chosen.

The Emperor gets first pick, naturally. The heels of his shoes click on the dangerously polished floor as he swaggers down the ballroom to make his choice.

The Empress had died in childbirth three years previously. The Emperor had been said to be inconsolable. As the Empress had produced an heir there is no requirement for him to marry again (and as Emperor he can do as he wishes, of course) but he is still fairly young and there is much speculation that he will eventually select another Omega from the Tokyo Collection as his bride.

But perhaps, Roger thinks, he might choose one of them. He is staring fixedly at the floor as he has been instructed to do. The footsteps cease. He can hear the Emperor’s smooth drawl asking for someone’s hand. Risking a very quick glance upwards he sees Dominique rise gracefully from her cushion and a smile spreads across his face.

Then they hear the three Hero Alphas approaching. The thump-click-thump-click of the injured Alpha’s cane sounds loud in the expectant hush of the ballroom.

They get to choose in order of seniority so the injured officer claims Phoebe first. Then the curly haired man halts in front of Freddie. Roger is kneeling beside Freddie and feels rather than sees him stand up. His stomach lurches as he realises he is next. Unless John has changed his mind which Roger almost hopes he has – he is unsure how gracefully he will be able to rise from the cushion.

The citrusy scent is very much stronger now and Roger experiences a little jolt of surprise and pleasure at the realisation that this scent belongs to ‘his’ Alpha. Only his Alpha for one dance, of course.

“May I have the pleasure of this dance, Mr Taylor?” a soft pleasant voice requests.

Roger looks up, smiling and manages the expected reply of, “Thank you, Sir.” He is enormously relieved when he successfully rises from his cushion without making a complete fool of himself. 

000

Roger has the most delicious gravelly voice John has ever heard. It seems quite unexpected in someone who looks so angelic.

John can smell cinnamon and smiles at the thought that they appear to have complimentary scents. The air seems charged as he takes Roger’s hand and places one hand on his waist, ready for the dance to commence.

There is a surge of music from the orchestra and John draws Roger a little closer, swinging him around. All of the Omegas are wonderful dancers, of course, but he is delighted to find that Roger seems to have an innate sense of rhythm. “You’re wonderful,” he murmurs then flushes, wondering if that had been much too forward. 

“Thank you, Sir,” Roger repeats and John wonders if the Omegas are told to stick to such phrases and thinks it will be a pity if this proves to be the case. 

000

Roger experiences a moment of light-headedness when John touches him. His touch feels almost charged – electric.

And John can dance. Roger had not dared to have expectations of him but this is pleasing and fills him with joy. They spin around the floor in time to the music. Roger is acutely aware of the swirl of colours surrounding him as the other guests look on. They are a blur. The only thing Roger is truly aware of is how exhilarated he feels and of his proximity to John with his gorgeous scent. 

000

The Emperor is merely an adequate dancer. To Roger’s astonishment he has been selected as the Emperor’s partner for his second dance. The Emperor has a strong woody scent. It is not unpleasant but Roger does not find it as pleasing as John’s scent had been.

“So you’re the ruined one,” the Emperor murmurs in his ear. 

“Yes, your majesty,” Roger replies in a low voice. He feels the Emperor’s large hand cup his bum, squeezing slightly. This is highly improper but of course the Emperor may do as he pleases – especially with Roger – ruined as he is. 

He is shocked, frozen in place as the Emperor’s lips press urgently against his in a bruising possessive kiss. “You are a temptation,” the Emperor informs him.

Roger is afraid he might be gawping stupidly at the Emperor and hastily lowers his gaze, murmuring, “Thank you, Sir.” Is an expression of gratitude the correct response to being called a tease? Roger cannot recall any etiquette classes covering such a scenario.

The Emperor has just opened his mouth to say something else, squeezing Roger’s bum again, when they hear the gunfire.

000

The Emperor’s bodyguards whisk him away from Roger just as the doors to the ballroom burst open and people wearing more substantial masks than a masquerade ball usually calls for and carrying guns crowd in. They are shouting but the screaming and panicked cries of the people in the ballroom are making it difficult to hear what they are saying.

Roger looks around for Freddie but cannot see him anywhere. The crowd parts in a rippling froth of colourful expensive fabrics and Roger finds himself facing a large person brandishing a gun. He wishes he was wearing something more substantial. He feels horribly exposed. “On the ground,” the gun man growls. Roger obligingly drops to his knees and is roughly pushed face down onto the floor. The natural habitat of the Omega, he thinks. He is gruffly instructed not to move. Receiving orders and being expected to immediately do as one is told, preferably with a pleasant smile on one’s face seems very familiar but usually Roger has less chance of being shot if he disobeys.


	2. The Republic

John grimly helps Miami along the corridor. The scantily clad Omega Miami had been with when the armed people had appeared is on Miami’s other side. John wonders where Roger is. Is he safe? He had been dancing with – had been being groped by - the wrong person for safety. Brian had been on the other side of the room with his Omega – Freddie. What is happening to them?

When the trouble started John had quietly led Miami and the Omega – Phoebe – the Omega was called Phoebe – to one of the doors he had noticed waiting staff using. The door was not obvious – it was set discreetly into the wood panelling of the room. 

He has no idea where they are heading but suspects this route probably leads to the kitchens. The corridor seems eerily silent although he knows there is a commotion going on in the ballroom.

He halts and signals to the other two to stop as he hears voices ahead. John indicates to the others that they should stay where they are. He creeps forward and down a short flight of stairs which lead to a set of swing doors with round windows set in them. Peering through one of the windows he can see the kitchen. There are armed people herding the frightened staff out of the room. 

There is a door to his left. There is no window in this door. John listens carefully but can hear nothing beyond the door. He can feel a draught though. Does this door lead outside? How long do they have before the armed people investigate this corridor? They are going to have to take a chance, he thinks.

He beckons to Miami and Phoebe and cautiously turns the handle of the door. To his relief it is not locked. He edges it open and peeks out. He sees a dark and mercifully deserted alley cluttered with full rubbish bins.

They slip outside. Phoebe shivers in the cool night air. He helps John roll one of the large waste bins in front of the door. That should hopefully buy them some time.

000

Freddie presses his face against Brian’s dinner jacket. He is afraid he might scream and hopes any sound he makes will be muffled. They are behind one of the curtains in the ballroom. The screams and shouts have intensified now that there is also shooting. Brian is wrestling as quietly as possible with the stiff window catch.

Par t of Freddie wants to go back and find Roger. Part of Freddie – a part he is ashamed of – wants to escape. The window opens with a judder and cold air swirls around Freddie. Brian takes his hand and pulls him out onto a little balcony. He shuts the window behind them.

Freddie feels as if they have shut Roger in with the horror and misery unfolding in the ballroom. Not just Roger, of course – all of his friends are in there.

They have, of course, just shut Roger in there. 

The balcony runs along the building and Brian hurries along it pulling Freddie with him. Freddie wonders if Brian has a plan or if he is just making it up as he goes.

000

Roger is hauled roughly to his feet. He looks around in panic and wishes he was still staring at the floor – there are bodies. There is blood. He gasps involuntarily. 

“Shut it, whore,” the person holding him snaps.

Roger is manhandled out of the ballroom. There are bodies piled up by the door. He is pulled over them – over people – the remains of people. He tries not to touch but it is impossible. He tries to look only at his feet. 

He wonders why he is still alive when there seems to have been so much death. 

Should he try to talk to his captor? Perhaps now is not the moment. They seem to be retracing the route Roger took to get to the ballroom – it seems like another lifetime ago now. “The other Omegas,” he blurts out, “Are they...? Are they okay?” 

“Shut. Your. Mouth,” his captor orders him.

Roger stumbles down the grand staircase into the spectacular entrance hall and then out in to the cold night air. He shivers. He wishes again that he was wearing more. 

When Roger entered the Palace there were crowds of photographers and journalists but now there are large numbers of people with guns. He is unceremoniously flung into the back of a van which starts immediately. Roger tries the doors – ready to leap out of the moving vehicle if necessary – but they are locked.

He curls up on a little heap of sacks in the corner of the van, hugging himself. It is cold. 

In theory he thinks he should be thrilled that there appears to have been an armed uprising against the Emperor but he wishes he had not been with the Emperor at the time. Where are they taking him now? Why take him at all?

000

Freddie follows Brian along the balcony. It curves around the side of the building then broadens into a terrace at the back with broad steps leading down into the grounds. Brian silently takes off his jacket and offers it to Freddie who puts it on gratefully. Brian crouches until his head is below the height of the balcony wall and gestures to Freddie to crouch too. They sneak down the steps into the grounds in this manner.

There are shouts but they are distant. Freddie can hear vehicles revving up too, probably at the front of the Palace. Back here all is silent but also dark and anything could be lurking in the bushes he thinks. 

He follows Brian who leads him to the shrubbery close to the high walls that enclose the Palace grounds. “Do you have a plan, dear?” he asks Brian in a low whisper.

“No,” Brian murmurs back. “I don’t think there will be any way out back here but perhaps we can stay hidden until we can figure out how to escape.”

Freddie thinks that’s as good a plan as any and they start to cautiously skirt around the perimeter wall, keeping low and moving slowly and as quietly as possible. 

000

Rubbish Bin Alley gives way to Delivery Courtyard. There are men with guns here but they are marshalling frightened Palace kitchen staff into vans and are not watching John, Miami and Phoebe creeping around the side of the building.

The alley has brought them out close to the gate, which is open. It is guarded, however. 

They lurk behind a little storage building in the corner of the courtyard and wait.

000

Despite the cold and his fears Roger has dozed off in the back of the van. He jolts awake and realises that he has been awakened by the cessation of motion. The van has stopped. He presses himself into the corner of the van farthest away from the doors and waits, tense and frightened.

He can hear raised voices. “...fuck do you mean...fucking prostitute...not paid to think...What the fuck do you fucking mean all dead?”

The van door is wrenched open. Roger blinks as a torch beam finds him. He cannot see. He feels a little surge of terror. “Out,” a voice commands curtly.

Roger obediently scrambles out of the van, his cold limbs stiff and clumsy. “What have you done?” a man howls, “This isn’t a prostitute you bloody imbecile! This is one of the Kensington Palace Omegas!”

“But I...He was...The Emperor was squeezing his arse when we entered!” another voice splutters. “I thought...I thought if he was the Emperor’s toy he might know stuff!”

“Yeah, well, that kind of idiocy is why you’re not paid to think,” the first man sighs. 

The men are masked and armed but Roger feels slightly less afraid now it has been established that he has apparently been captured by inept idiots.

000

Unfamiliar voices broadcast news of the uprising on the radio. They announce the death of the Emperor and his heir. The Emperor’s advisers have also been killed.

Regrettably the Kensington Palace Omegas who were at the ball have also been slaughtered.

The news caster who delivers this grim information sounds genuinely regretful. The Omegas who did not go to the ball – the survivors – are being liberated from Kensington Palace and will be returned to their families.

Phoebe supposes this is meant to be good news – a little bit of cheer amidst the reports of carnage. Yet most of the Collection arrived there after having been effectively sold by their families who probably don’t want another mouth to feed.

Phoebe feels tears sting his eyes. His friends are dead. Miami gently squeezes his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he offers. 

The broadcast instructs everyone to stay inside. 

Phoebe looks around the room they are in. They had stayed hidden for what felt like an eternity until the vans had all been loaded and had left the courtyard, taking the guards with them. Then they had simply walked out and had kept walking – stopping to allow Miami to rest every so often – until they arrived at this flat.

John had left them waiting by the front door and had returned with a key which had presumably been hidden somewhere nearby. The accommodation is small and sparsely furnished but there are clothes in the wardrobe so they have all been able to change out of their ball outfits. There is hot water so Phoebe has had a bath too. There is no food but John produced a dusty bottle of brandy so they have had a drink.

Now, as the radio begins to repeat news of the uprising, they all jump as there is a knock on the door. John motions to Miami and Phoebe that they should sit still and he moves quietly to the front door. 

There is another knock – a series of them. John relaxes and hurries to open the door. Phoebe is overjoyed to see him ushering Freddie and the other Alpha hero into the small flat. “Freddie!” he seizes Freddie and pulls him into a hug.

000

The group who have kidnapped Roger – Roger isn’t sure if kidnapping is quite the right word – are using a hotel as their base of operations and Roger is locked in a room that has seen better days but is mercifully warm. He has been brought food and too-big clothing he is grateful for. 

The room has a radio which confirms what he had suspected – his friends are dead. He lies on the slippery hotel bedspread and weeps into the limp pillow.

000

Freddie had hoped the ball would change his life and it certainly has – just not in the way he had expected. Well, not entirely in the way he had expected.

Brian is pleasingly attentive. They are still living in what John refers to as ‘emergency accommodation’. It is a bit of a squeeze but Freddie is glad to be with the three capable Alphas and kind Phoebe. 

Shops selling food were permitted to reopen a few days after the uprising and they have purchased supplies. The cupboards are well stocked now and Freddie can see the wisdom of this when everything closes again as the Empire – under the command of General Denton – launches a counter attack. They stay well away from the windows when they hear bursts of gunfire in their street.

The broadcasts are by different people for a few days – the last gasp of the Empire. All military personnel are instructed to report for duty.

“Should we?” Brian frets.

“They left us to die, didn’t they?” Miami notes – his voice is grim. “If John hadn’t been able to repair the Rhapsody enough to allow us to live then we’d have been given those medals posthumously. And if the war had gone the other way I’m pretty sure we would have been left to our fate at the hands of the enemy. We’re lucky John had the foresight to have prepared this hiding place and was kind enough to let us know about it.”

“We don’t owe them anything,” John agrees. “Miami’s right. We were expendable as far as the Empire was concerned.”

Brian looks slightly uncomfortable. Freddie thinks he has a strong sense of duty – a strong sense of loyalty to his employers. Freddie approves of that but is also thinking of how, “They risked Roger’s life. They killed Jenny.”

Phoebe nods. “I’m not sure I like the other side any better, since they slaughtered people at the ball,” he ventures, “but we were property of the Empire and I...” He swallows hard. “I’m probably not putting this very well...”

“I think you’re putting it very well,” Brian tells him softly, “And on reflection, I think we should remain neutral in this fight.”

Everyone nods.

000

His captors – Roger isn’t sure if that is the correct word but he doesn’t know what else would fit – continue to wear masks when they bring him food or cleaning supplies or fresh bedding and clothing. One of them – Roger is fairly certain it is the man who berated his original kidnapper when he arrived – identifies himself as Ratty and is warily friendly towards Roger.

Another identifies himself as Trip and one day – a day when things are going badly and the Empire is spewing out propaganda on the radio again – Trip asks if he can enter Roger’s room and talk to him. Roger is surprised but cautiously agrees.

Trip explains – his voice sad – that no one was meant to die at the ball. “That wasn’t what I signed up for,” he assures Roger. “I’m very sorry about your friends.”

“They were my family,” Roger corrects him – his voice flat. If no one was supposed to die then why were so many slain? He does not ask. This knowledge will not bring them back. 

Trip tells him anyway. “The group I joined – New Republic – simply wanted to overthrow the Empire and build something better. However, to achieve that we’ve been working with other groups and now...Well, there’s a group called Beta Supremacy and we didn’t want anything to do with them. It looks like they’ve infiltrated our group though. We think they have gradually been attacking the Omega Palaces for years and the massacre at the ball got rid of a fair few Alphas in positions of authority.”

“Do they want to kill us all?” Roger asks. He feels no horror at the prospect of eventually being captured by this Beta Supremacy group and executed. If there is an afterlife maybe he will be back with the others. He suspects he should feel more alarmed by his lack of concern – his disinterest.

“Not kill, I think,” Trip says, “but certainly control. I know Omegas have always been controlled,” he sounds apologetic about this, “but this lot want to control Alphas too.”

Roger supposes that as there are many more Betas than Alphas or Omegas they may well succeed. Although the reports on the radio indicate the forces of the Empire are rallying.

The radio has been on in the background during their conversation and now, as Trip heads towards the door he halts – face ashen – as the Empire news reader announces that one of the leaders of the rebellion – Christopher Taylor – has been re-captured.

“Crystal,” Trip and Roger exclaim in unison. Then, also in unison they ask, “How do you know Crystal?”

000

“Oh,” Freddie says, “That’s the Alpha who...”

“Who what?” Brian asks.

Freddie blushes. They know about Roger however. And Roger is no longer with them. Freddie swallows around the lump in his throat and explains that, “Christopher Taylor – Crystal – was the man who...serviced...Roger.”

“Ruined him,” John growls, “then had him murdered at the ball if he was part of the uprising.” 

Freddie wants to protest that Roger seemed to like Crystal but he can see what John means. “Roger didn’t deserve any of this,” Freddie murmurs sadly. 

“No,” John mutters darkly, “he certainly didn’t.”

000

The radio presenter reveals – in a tone too full of glee for Roger’s liking – that Crystal was originally sentenced to Betafication and then death for treason. After carrying out services to the Empire his sentence was reduced to Betafication only. 

Crystal had escaped but had now been recaptured and sentenced to death again. Were his services to the Empire his services to Roger? Were there others? “What’s Betafication?” Roger asks Trip who is still frozen by the door.

Trip shudders. “It’s...They remove your glands and...They modify your body so that you are effectively a Beta. It doesn’t work very well. It’s...The process often kills people but...Well it might be a fate worse than death.”

Roger stares at him in horror. “He was...I...” He takes a deep breath and explains to Trip about his induced heat and how it had been necessary for Crystal to assist him. “He was very kind,” Roger concludes. He realises that he is talking about Crystal in the past tense. He also thinks kind is not the right word.

“He was...is...the leader of the branch of New Republic I joined,” Trip tells him. “We have to get him back.” He whirls around and leaves Roger’s room abruptly, evidently about to start on the process of getting Crystal back. 

000

The Empire is losing again. They can tell as the voices and messages on the radio alter. Crystal has been released from prison again. The current newsreader rants about the horrors of Betafication and informs listeners that this practice is illegal in the Republic.

John mutters that he wouldn’t wish Betafication on anyone but at the same time, “I feel this Christopher Taylor is responsible for Roger’s death,” he howls. “I’m going to find him and destroy him.”

They try to dissuade him. The Keepers and the Collector at Kensington Palace are responsible for Roger’s death, Freddie points out. John shakes his head, “The Emperor would have left Roger alone if he hadn’t been...If...And if he hadn’t been with the Emperor then...”

“That makes no sense, John,” Brian tells him gently, “Think about it...”

“Are you saying I’m stupid?” John shouts.

“No, of course not,” Brian shakes his head, his curls flying out from his face then settling back around it, “But...This isn’t about Roger, is it? You barely knew him. You danced with him once, that’s all. And this Crystal wasn’t the cause of his death. The people who stormed the ballroom – the people who ordered the massacre are responsible for that – and we don’t know who they were. We don’t know if Crystal was involved at all.”

“We know he is one of the rebel leaders,” John seethes, “He sounds like he’s a policy-maker. And if he was a decent person he would never have touched Roger!”

“Roger would have died if he had refused to help him,” Freddie points out. “Roger liked him,” he adds helplessly. 

“There are rumours that it was this Beta Supremacy group that caused the deaths at the ball,” Miami notes softly, “This Crystal has nothing to do with them.”

John knows all of this is true but Brian is right – this isn’t about Roger. This is about everything. This is about John joining the army straight from school with wide-eyed dreams of becoming a hero of the Empire. This is about John’s horror when he realised what one needed to do in the service of the Empire. This is about John feeling trapped in the wrong choice on the wrong side. This is about John not being brave enough to stand up to the Empire as this Christopher ‘Crystal’ Taylor has done. This is about John becoming a hero of the Empire and being one of the catalysts that led to the ball that led to Roger’s induced heat and then his death on the highly polished ballroom floor. 

John is guilty. Crystal is also guilty. But does Crystal realise it? 

John ignores the attempts of the others to calm him down. He has to do something even if it is a something as futile as shouting at Crystal when he finds him.

He throws some supplies into a kit bag and storms out of the flat and leaves the others looking at one another in troubled silence which is broken by a muffled explosion somewhere in the distance.

000

They move from the hotel. Roger is slightly surprised they have managed to stay in one place for so long. 

Their new accommodation was evidently once someone’s very luxurious family home. Roger wonders uneasily what happened to the owners. 

Roger is no longer locked in his room and only Trip and Ratty are staying in the house with him although other men come and go. Trip and Ratty abandon their masks. Roger is touched by this apparent sign of trust. He could leave, he supposes, but where would he go? The best part of this move is that he is able to go out into the beautiful garden of the house. It is starting to suffer a little from lack of regular maintenance by a team of well paid gardeners but it is lovely. It occurs to Roger that he has more freedom here – as a captive – than he had at Kensington Palace when he was – in theory at least – free. No Keeper has to accompany him on his walks here. 

Crystal has escaped, Roger gathers, but he has done so on his own with no assistance from Trip. Trip seems to have taken this personally as if Crystal has done it to spite him. They do not know where Crystal is. Roger hopes he is safe.

000

John has not returned. They all worry about him quietly. Brian goes to the shops and returns with what they hope will be enough food to see them through Phoebe and Freddie’s impending heats. They are fairly certain they will have synchronised.

Over dinner one evening – sitting around the kitchen table – Freddie comes out and says it – “I’d like to mate with you, Brian, if you’ll have me.”

Brian splutters food everywhere. Miami grins.

Phoebe smiles and looks at Miami. “I’d like that too,” he informs him, “With you,” he clarifies, “Not Brian.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Miami tells him softly.

Brian has recovers and beams at Freddie. “I’d love that,” he says, “As long as you’re sure?”

“I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life, dear,” Freddie assures him. 

000

John is still full of rage. Rage at a society that normalised taking Omega children from their families and raising them to be play-things for a select few privileged Alphas. He is full of rage at the society that blindly supported the expansion of the Empire driven by greedy thoughts of the wealth they could steal from other countries and planets and the positions of power they could enjoy.

John despises his part in all of this. He was brought up and schooled to marvel at the Empire. Why did he not see the horror and misery it caused sooner? 

He still wants to find Crystal but now he is no longer sure if he wants to hit him or shout at him or shake his hand. Perhaps he should join him.

He is not sure why finding Crystal seems so important but he feels it is something he must do. Maybe it is because Crystal also spent a little bit of time with Roger. Perhaps Crystal will understand the grief he feels for the bright future he glimpsed only to have it cruelly snatched away from him.

So John will find Crystal - except he has no idea what Crystal looks like or where he might be.

000

John starts at the library. The building is open although it seems to be deserted. John flicks a light switch and is heartened when a light blinks sluggishly then decides to stay on. He makes his way to the screens one can call up newspaper items on. Print newspapers are rare but specialist digital ones are numerous. He tries to recall what some of the ones that predominantly cover arrests and trials are called. 

It takes a bit of searching but eventually he discovers an article about Crystal’s arrest and subsequent trial. There is a photograph of Crystal and he is older than John expected and balding. John touches his own flowing locks and allows himself to feel smug.

The article informs John that Crystal had been under surveillance for some time due to suspicions that he was heavily involved with a group called New Republic who wanted to overthrow the Empire. John reads that Crystal’s whereabouts was given to the authorities by a member of another subversive group called Beta Supremacy. The member of Beta Supremacy who threw Crystal to the wolves had been arrested on suspicion of involvement with the destruction of the Versailles Collection of Omegas.

John stares at the screen for a moment as he processes this information. He reads that Beta Supremacy also wants to overthrow the Empire but they are no friends to New Republic. The journalist is scathing that the authorities have given the Beta a reduced sentence in return for his information about Crystal. The journalist opines that the more radical Beta Supremacy organisation pose a far greater threat than New Republic.

The trial was held behind closed doors so the journalist can only speculate regarding what acts of terrorism Crystal may have been involved in and found guilty of. There will not have been a trial, of course, John knows. Crystal will have been arrested and taken straight to the London House of Correction. The part of the report featuring the ‘trial’ is a polite fiction to allow the masses to continue to ignore the reality of how the Empire worked.

Unusually Crystal was sentenced to Betafication prior to death. John realises the authorities must have really loathed Crystal. From what he has heard the Betafication process is akin to torture. They had evidently wanted him to suffer before they killed him.

He was not here to start feeling sorry for Crystal. He was here to find him.

Find him to do what, though? The more John finds out about Crystal the more he thinks he might like him.

John squirms slightly in his seat. He just wants to talk to Crystal that is all. He wants to make sure Roger was not killed because of orders Crystal gave. He is fairly sure now that the massacre had nothing to do with Crystal but for some reason he needs to know.

On a whim he looks to see if there are more recent articles about the ongoing revolution. There are.

John reads with interest. He finds an article by the same journalist who covered Crystal’s case. This journalist believes that Beta Supremacy was behind the massacre at the ball – that they have infiltrated the New Republic movement remaining the biggest threat.

If that is true and John suspects it is then they are to blame for Roger’s death not Crystal.

John barely knew Roger. But he wanted to. His future has been snatched away from him.

He leans back in his chair and considers where to go next. The article about Crystal’s ‘trial’ held scant information about his life. Where would he go? John thinks about this. Who would he trust? What kind of physical state would he be in? How far had they got with turning him from an Alpha into a Beta?

John hesitates and then searches for articles about soup kitchens and help for the homeless. Will anyone be helping the homeless with street battles raging around them?

000

Yes, it turns out people are still helping those less fortunate than themselves. There is also currently no fighting in the vicinity of the soup kitchen John has found which is a van with a serving hatch in the side. Braziers have been lit nearby and little groups of people – mostly men – stand around sipping their soup and getting warm. 

John stays in the shadows, hood up, watching. It is a cold night and everyone has a hat or a hood. It would be difficult to identify your best friend let alone a stranger you’ve only seen one photo of. Also more than one soup kitchen exists. Even if Crystal is living rough he might not come here. But it is a start.

000

It is difficult to nest when you are in a sparsely furnished flat. Freddie is also competing with Phoebe for cushions and blankets. Resources are scarce. The flat is richly scented – their aromas mingling. The atmosphere is intoxicating. Having Alphas with them heightens everything. 

Freddie is grateful that he is with an Alpha he loves and wants to mate with. He thinks sadly of Roger. It is good, perhaps, that Roger got to experience sex with an Alpha during his short life but Freddie feels Roger was robbed of having this experience with his true love. 

000

It takes John two weeks to find Crystal. He is growing weary of moving around the city lurking in the shadows watching the men queuing for their meal every night. Then he strikes gold.

To be more precise the golden light of a street lamp strikes Crystal’s balding head and John recognises him instantly. He feels triumphant and then foolish – what does he do now? Why is he doing this? Why is he here?

He watches Crystal obtain a bowl of soup and move to stand near a brazier well away from the van with no one else standing close to it. John hesitates. He waits until he thinks Crystal has almost finished his soup before moving over to him. Crystal will almost certainly bolt and John isn’t sure why but he doesn’t want Crystal to have to go hungry because of him. 

Crystal is thinner than he was in his photo. He looks pale and John notices that his hands are shaking slightly. “Chris Taylor?” he asks. Will Crystal run?

“Who are you?” Crystal asks instead. 

John hasn’t expected this. He should have expected this, he realises. “Uh...” he shrugs, he may as well be honest “I’m John Deacon.” 

Even in the dim light he can see Crystal’s eyes widen. “John Deacon the famous hero of the Rhapsody?” Crystal asks in a low voice, his tone slightly mocking. John nods. “You died at the ball in your honour,” Crystal tells him, now sounding decidedly amused.

John shrugs again. “No,” he states, “I didn’t.” He sighs. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

000

They go to an all night cafe with boarded up windows and bullet holes on the wall. A dented robot brings them strong coffee. It is cheap but tastes good. Crystal lights a cigarette in defiance of the no smoking sign on the wall. “Talk, then,” he suggests. 

And of course John no longer knows what to say. “I...You...The radio said...”

Crystal surveys him coolly. “You must have gone to a lot of trouble to track me down,” he notes, “At least I hope you did. Don’t wound my pride by telling me otherwise. So spit it out, Alpha hero. What do you want?”

“Did you order the executions at the ball?” John says bluntly.

Crystal sucks on his cigarette and shakes his head. “No,” he replies. 

“But it was your organisation that stormed the place?” John persists, feeling rage build within him again.

“It’s a big organisation,” Crystal informs him, “And I had nothing to do with that.” His voice cracks, “I would never have ordered the murders of the Omegas.”

He is telling the truth. John is not sure how he knows that but he does. He slumps in his seat. “I wanted to...I don’t know...There was the sweetest Omega...Roger...”

“Roger,” Crystal echoes, “He was definitely there?” He too slumps in his seat.

They both say, “I only knew him briefly but I think I loved him,” simultaneously.

They stare at each other. 

000

They are moving again and there is an air of panic this time that has been noticeably absent previously. Trip draws Roger to one side. “You are very welcome to come with us but I feel I must make you aware that we could be in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?” Roger asks.

“Beta Supremacists are hunting and killing members of the New Republic,” Trip informs him. “We think we are on their list. But they won’t know about you. Being with us will almost certainly put you in danger.”

Roger feels a little surge of terror at the thought of being alone. Yet he knows Trip is correct. He would be safer alone. 

He would like to stay in this house with the lovely garden and the beautiful rooms but presumably this place will be searched sooner or later. “Where will I go?” he asks hating how pitiful he sounds. “I...My heat is overdue...”

This has not occurred to him before and he feels another little swell of panic at the thought that the induced heat may have irreparably damaged his body. Trip frowns. “Come with us for now,” he instructs Roger who sags with relief, “And we’ll work out somewhere safe you can go to.”

000

John takes Crystal back to the safe house. “Is this a thing all military heroes have?” Crystal wonders, “A bolt hole?”

“I assume not since Miami and Brian are sharing mine,” John replies.

Crystal gawps at him. “They survived too?”

“Us military heroes are hard to kill, apparently,” John tells him.

The heady mingled aromas of the Alphas and Omegas in the flat greet them as they enter. “John!” Brian seizes John and pulls him into a hug. “Hi,” he says over John’s shoulder to Crystal. “Your timing is impeccable,” Brian tells John. “You’ve narrowly missed Phoebe and Freddie’s synchronised heats.”

000

Crystal finds that not only have all three of the Alphas from the Rhapsody managed to survive the events in the ballroom but two of the Kensington Palace Omegas have too. Freddie rather tearfully thanks him for saving Roger during his induced heat. For all the good it did Roger, Crystal reflects bitterly. 

He sips tea and nibbles on a biscuit provided by the Omega called Phoebe. “You decided not to kill him, then?” the older Alpha, Miami, notes. Crystal looks up and meets Miami’s eyes. “You’re a victim too, then,” Miami decides. 

Perhaps they should stop being victims, Crystal thinks, and take some action. Perhaps they should start building the future they want instead of cringing in hiding places as other people try to impose their own ideas on them. 

000

Roger goes to the library which is open but eerily deserted. He is afraid the power might be out but the first search pod he tries zings to life immediately and chattily asks him what he is looking for. Roger types his request out of habit although there is no one around to overhear him utter a request today. He has not visited the public library since early childhood before he was taken away from his family but the systems are very similar to those in the little library at Kensington Palace. 

The machine pings almost instantly, bringing up a few articles about Omegas who have had an induced heat. Roger perches on the high stool next to the machine and begins to read. He is not entirely sure what he is looking for – he discovers that several of the articles are about deaths resulting from induced heats and he closes those. He supposes what he wants to know is if anyone has had issues following an induced heat. Should he refine his search term?

He does not know whether to be relieved or alarmed at finding nothing. He suspects that because there seems to be a very high level of death associated with an induced heat there have been few studies on the rare survivors. Perhaps they are simply considered lucky to be alive and sent on their way.

Out of curiosity he searches for information about Betafication. Then wishes he hadn’t when he reads what the process involves. Feeling sick he closes those articles and is about to switch the machine off when a thought occurs to him. He hesitates then searches for heat anomalies following a traumatic heat. This brings back many more results. Roger starts to read. 

000

It is Miami who asks. Crystal supposes that makes sense. Miami is still healing too. “What did they do to you?” he asks simply. 

They are sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea which is something they do a lot. Everyone is there. Everyone is always there. Sometimes the cramped flat seems suffocating. 

Crystal clears his throat. “They...I had several surgeries,” he tells them, “to prevent me from being able to knot, to stop me producing pheromones, to stop me rutting.” He shrugged. “I mean, I don’t know how well it’s worked...”

Freddie silently reaches out across the table and clasps Crystal’s hand, squeezing it gently. “That’s horrific,” Brian gasps.

“Yeah,” Crystal mutters, “It’s not been great.”

“How do you feel?” Phoebe enquires gently. 

Crystal considers this carefully. It has been a long time since anyone has asked him how he feels and he is more moved by the question than he would have expected. “Glad to be alive,” he responds, “And I feel violated. I feel like a shadow of my former self.” He sighs. “I’m not an Alpha any more but I’m not a Beta either, y’ know?” But how could they know. How can they know when he doesn’t know himself?

000

John is very pleased for the two couples, of course. He is glad that Phoebe and Miami and Freddie and Brian are getting along so well. He has concerns that Crystal finds it difficult being around three Alpha males – two of them with recently formed bonds. 

He is concerned about Crystal. He is not jealous of the others. That would be ridiculous.

“Do you find it difficult being around them?” John asks Crystal after they have accidentally walked in on Freddie and Brian sharing a very passionate kiss in the kitchen. Freddie and Brian have gone to their room. 

The lack of room is another issue. There are two bedrooms which are being used by the couples. John sleeps on the couch and Crystal on an inflatable mattress on the floor. They are all in close proximity at all times. 

“Sometimes,” Crystal acknowledges. “Although, it’s not so much...I wouldn’t say I miss being an Alpha exactly...I don’t think I was a typical Alpha anyway. But it does make me realise I’ll never bed an Omega properly again.” A look of sadness sweeps across his face. “I’ll probably never bed anyone again. Who would want the kind of monstrous hybrid I’ve become?”

John is surprised to hear himself say, “I would.”

“Would you, now?” Crystal is very close to him suddenly. His fingers brush John’s jaw. “Would you really?”

Their lips meet. It is a sweet kiss. Sweeter than John would have expected if anyone had told him he would kiss Crystal. Which is a ridiculous thing to be doing, of course, and yet it feels so right.

000

The radio broadcasts are becoming disturbing. New laws are being passed. Alphas and Omegas are to wear badges identifying themselves as such. The badges for Alphas are blue triangles. Omegas have to wear a pink circle.

“Where are people supposed to get them?” Freddie wonders. “Are you meant to whip up your own from your craft supplies?”

The badges go on sale in food shops. “Well, I’ll just have to be a badge-less Beta,” Miami decides, “Because I’m certainly not spending money on one of those things.”

“This has gone too far. We’re going to have to take action,” Crystal concludes. “I’ll see if I can get in touch with anyone from the old gang. There are still a few people I think are trustworthy.”

000

The members of the New Republic are mainly in hiding now. Beta Supremacy reign supreme. Trip thinks his time is up when he hears his name spoken softly from the shadows as he reaches the door of his latest residence. He never stays in once place for very long now. He is glad that Ratty is not there. They had decided several weeks before that they should split up. He is even more grateful that Roger is no longer with him.

He is amazed when the figure who steps out of the shadows is Crystal. “Fucking hell,” he laughs nervously, “I nearly had a heart attack Crys!”

They have coffee and tell each other their stories. Crystal stares at Trip. “Roger’s alive?” he croaks. 

Trip nods. “Before you ask, Crys, I don’t know where he is. It was safer that way.”

Crystal nods, acknowledging this although it is completely unacceptable. It is completely unacceptable that Roger is alive and walking around London and Crystal does not know where he is – cannot take care of him. Roger is probably not doing very much walking around London – there are curfews in place. There are stories of Omegas and Alphas going missing.

Hard as it is Crystal knows he must put Roger out of his mind just now. At the moment he must focus on working to remove the Beta Supremacists from power.

000

Kensington Palace is deserted. The windows have had steel shutters fitted over them and the doors have been similarly blocked.

Roger had hoped that no one would have remembered about the entrance to the cellars tucked away at the rear of the sprawling building. And he was in luck. The door was locked but did not have a shutter over it. Roger had located the hidden key under the cracked paving stone and let himself in.

There was plenty of non-perishable food in the kitchens and more importantly he could use the heat suite. He had an urge to construct a nest. It seemed his body was not irreparably damaged after all. 

There had been signs of struggle when Roger had arrived which he tried not to think about too much. He had righted overturned chairs and tables. He had mopped the suspicious stains (blood?) from the floors.

He has been sleeping in his own bed but now he has moved to the heat suite. He wonders anxiously how bad it will be. Is he going to die here alone? Will this be a normal heat or will it be like last time? He has never been on his own before during a heat. The Keepers may not have been the most sympathetic people in the world but their presence had been reassuring.

000

When Trip moves to another residence Crystal and John make use of the now empty apartment he has been staying in. It is risky but afterwards, as they lie entwined, Crystal thinks it was worth it.

It is the first time Crystal has made love to someone as whatever he is now – a non-Alpha. It felt remarkably good. He kisses John. “That was almost like losing my virginity again,” he tells him.

John kisses back fiercely. “Are you okay?”

Crystal considers this. He still finds it hard to grow accustomed to people asking on a regular basis. “Yeah,” he decides, “I’m...I’m a bit emotional...Wasn’t expecting that...But yeah, I’m okay. Are you?”

“I’m over the moon,” John assures him. 

000

Roger crawls out of the heat suite and shakily makes his way to the showers. He has a long hot shower, grateful that the power and water supply still seem to be intact. He wonders if he could just stay here. Certainly he will have to stay for at least another day or so until he has recovered his strength. The heat has been...difficult.

He wobbles to the recreation room and switches on the radio to check who is in power now and what they are doing. Can he remain here? Will anyone come looking? Will anyone notice that electricity is still being used? How safe is it? How safe is anywhere if Omegas have to identify themselves as such. It seems sinister and Roger wishes he was not alone. He would like to have someone to share his fears with. But there is no one left. There is no one to tell him what to do. He is on his own and will have to make his own choices. “Better choose wisely,” he tells himself, which is probably not a good sign.

There is static on the radio. Roger turns the wheel that changes the station but there is static...static...nothing but static. Has the world ended? Perhaps he died during his heat. If so, the afterlife is a bit of a disappointment to date.

He hesitates then tries the television set. The television has always been forbidden. Roger has never been sure why. There is no one here to forbid him now. Perhaps heaven is watching the television.

The screen flickers to life. The image is stationary. A message instructs Roger not to adjust his set. Normal programming will resume shortly.

Will it? Roger wonders how long ago normal programming ceased. He has lost track of time during his heat.

Something major has evidently happened but what?

000

Roger still feels weak. He thinks if something major has happened – is still happening perhaps – then it is unlikely it will arrive on his doorstep here. As far as everyone is concerned this building is empty and secured – at some point someone will remember it and decide how it is to be used but Roger hopes this won’t happen any time soon.

He should be safe for a few days while he recovers his strength. 

He is slightly indignant to discover food supplies far superior to the slop they were served. He takes his meal back to the recreation room and almost drops the plate when he finds that the radio has now crackled to life.

“...caller on line two,” a female voice says, “Sam from Bristol. So, Sam, how do you feel about the new regime?”

Roger listens as Sam from Bristol says he is hopeful about the future. “All the Empire did was force us into costly wars. And that Beta Supremacy lot were just crazy. I think this lot are better. They seem sensible.”

“To anyone just tuning in,” the presenter says once Sam from Bristol has gone, “We’re sorry for the break in service earlier. As you know the Beta Supremacists tried to destroy the network before they were removed from power and we’re still having some technical issues.”

As Roger listens he discovers that the Beta Supremacists have been defeated. The Empire counter-attackers have also been defeated. The general public are firmly in favour of establishing a republic and an interim caretaker government has been set up with a mix of scientists, academics and ordinary members of the public involved in it.

It all sounds quite positive. And yet the icy ball of misery and anxiety that has built up in Roger’s stomach is undiminished. He does not want to go forth into this new positive future alone. Yet he will have to. He curls up in a little ball and allows himself to weep a little for the friends and future that he has lost. 

000

Roger finds a backpack the following day and packs some overalls and underwear in it along with some toiletries and food supplies. If he has to leave in a hurry he wants to be prepared. He still thinks the Palace is safe but who knows when the next uprising will happen?

On the radio people call in and tell the presenter what they would like to happen in the future. Roger wonders what his future will hold. He has been brought up to be the spouse of a wealthy Alpha. Will the new regime also want decorative Omega spouses? What else could he do?

The current caller is saying that there must be a balance between Alphas and Betas on the new governing committee. The presenter asks if there should be Omegas on the committee too and the caller is shocked by the idea. Holding public office would be too much for a delicate Omega the caller tells the presenter disapprovingly. Public opinion has not changed all that radically it seems. Roger sighs. Then he sits bolt upright, staring at the radio as the presenter says, “Coming up we have an interview with one of the surviving Kensington Palace Omegas, Freddie Mercury.”

Roger gasps. Freddie is alive!

000

Freddie looks anxiously through the window of the little booth he is being interviewed in. Brian is sitting on a little padded bench waiting for him. 

The presenter, Stephanie, is kind and does not ask anything too intrusive. She asks about the routine the Omegas had at Kensington Palace. Freddie is careful not to say anything too negative about the place. He implies that the Beta Keepers were kind. There is no sense in alienating the majority of the population. And if the Keepers were not exactly kind they were not terrible either.

They refer to the events at the masquerade ball but do not go into any detail. Everyone knows what happened. Most people now accept Beta Supremacy were to blame. Some people would still like to pick fights about that.

And then they reach the reason for the interview – as far as Freddie is concerned. Stephanie leans towards him, her voice full of concern as she says, “You have reason to believe one of the other Omegas survived too, don’t you?”

Freddie nods. None of the listeners can hear his nod so he says, “Yes. It has come to light that my friend Roger, Roger Taylor, may have survived too. Roger, dear, if you are listening please get in touch. You can call the radio station and they will pass a message to me.”

000

Freddie made it sound so easy. Call the radio station. Leave a message. Leave a message saying what? I thought you were dead. I’m so glad you’re not. 

He wants to meet Freddie but he can hardly leave a message saying where he is. Should he arrange to meet him somewhere? Where? They spent almost their whole lives in Kensington Palace. They have no other places in common. And he can’t meet Freddie here while he is staying here. Freddie would be fine but what if Freddie brings someone with him? Roger doesn’t know how safe or otherwise the streets are. He doesn’t know who Freddie has been staying with or where he has been staying.

Roger stares at the telephone in the Collector’s office. Is it safe to use? Can they trace a call? He does not think it is a trap – Freddie would never do that – but he is wary. Freddie is a very trusting person. What if he is being used?

He wonders if there is another telephone he can use. He thinks suddenly of the public library. There must be a telephone there. Will it still be deserted though, now that things are getting back to normal? 

If he uses the phone here he thinks he will need to leave this place. And then where will he go? The icy ball of fear and anxiety in his stomach seems to spin, making him feel cold and sick. How quickly will a message be sent to Freddie? Freddie will help him, if he can. But how long will he have to wait to see him?

Roger swallows hard and picks up the receiver. The dialling tone sounds loud. He punches in the phone number for the radio station and waits, nervously tapping his foot as the phone rings. A cheery voice tells him he has reached London Talks and asks his name and where he comes from. Roger sets the receiver down again. He can’t do this. 

000

“Perhaps he didn’t hear the show,” Brian suggests kindly as Freddie paces the flat. They have their own flat now, arranged by one of Crystal’s connections who also sorted Miami and Phoebe out with the apartment across the landing from them.

John and Crystal have remained in John’s bolt hole flat which is just around the corner. They all meet up regularly for dinner or drinks. Freddie likes this lifestyle. He supposes it is what he has been in training for his whole life. He has also started to work at an Omega assistance centre.

The telephone in the flat rings and he seizes the receiver. He mouths to Brian that it is the radio station. Brian moves to his side, placing a comforting hand on his back. Freddie listens to the caller and then hangs up, feeling dazed. “It wasn’t a message from Roger,” he tells Brian, “It was a message from Dominique.”

000

Roger returns to the library. It is now properly open again with robots assisting people who are carrying out research. There are some humans around too. People like that. 

Roger hesitates. He will not be able to call the radio station from here. This was a mistake. He will not be able to call the radio station at all. He jumps as a robot asks if they can help him. He shakes his head. “No,” he croaks. It has been a long time since he spoke out loud to anyone. He turns and hurries out of the building.

He halts on the steps. Where should he go? He is tempted to go back to Kensington Palace and continue to hide out there. 

He wonders if he could find the building the radio show broadcasts from. Perhaps he could leave a message for Freddie in person. He turns and re-enters the library to see if they can assist him with an address. 

000

Crystal wishes he had not agreed to the interview. The interviewer is sympathetic but Crystal feels ashamed as he recounts what was done to him in prison. He reminds himself that he is doing this so that other people don’t suffer the same fate. He is doing this in the hope that Betafication will be banned.

He glances through the glass of the booth he is sitting in and sees John sitting waiting for him on a padded bench. John loves him despite his scars. That knowledge helps.

“I’m glad that’s over,” Crystal mutters to John as they leave the building.

He halts abruptly to avoid walking into a stationary person on the front steps of the building. The person has a hood obscuring their face but Crystal would know that scent anywhere. “Roger?”

The person pushes their hood back from their face. It is Roger. But that was never in doubt. He is too thin. His hair is longer than it was when Crystal saw him last. But it is unmistakably Roger. Crystal holds out his arms to him, dimly aware of John saying something, and he is relieved when Roger gives a little gasp and flops against Crystal who holds him tightly.

000

“That was John,” Brian says when he gets off the phone. “Freddie, it was good news.” Brian’s face breaks into a huge smile. “They’ve found Roger. They’re bringing him over.”

Freddie gasps. “Oh! Now? Where was he? How did they find him? Is he okay?”

Brian holds him, gently smoothing his hair to calm him. “He was outside the radio station. I don’t know why. They bumped into him after Crystal’s interview. John says he looks thin but seems fine apart from that. They’re bringing him straight here so you’ll see him soon.”

000

Roger sits quietly between Crystal and John in the back of the taxi. Crystal is holding his hand. It is reassuring. Crystal smells wrong. His beautiful scent is faint. It is still there though. Crystal has explained he was being interviewed about what has been done to him. John and Crystal are a couple which is unexpected and yet it seems right somehow to Roger that the only two Alphas he knows are together. 

John asked him gently if he had been looking for Freddie and Roger had nodded. Now they are taking him to Freddie. He leans tiredly against Crystal who gently squeezes his hand. “Are you okay?” Crystal asks.

Roger considers this carefully. He shakes his head. “Do you need anything?” John wonders.

Roger shakes his head again. “Freddie’s going to be so pleased to have found you,” Crystal tells him. “He’s missed you terribly.” Crystal pauses then adds “I know we weren’t together for very long but I’ve missed you too.”

Roger smiles at him. “It’s...” He doesn’t know what to say. “Bit overwhelming,” he tries.

“Yeah,” Crystal nods, “I can see that it would be.”

000

Everyone’s lives have moved on and expanded while Roger has been on his own. Freddie has a bond-mate. So does Phoebe. 

He is overjoyed to discover Dominique has survived too. Apparently she had sneaked away from the ballroom to have a look around the Palace. When the shooting started she had found one of the bedrooms and changed into something less conspicuous. She had managed to slip out of the building and the grounds in the midst of the confusion. A charity set up to assist Omegas who had left violent spouses had helped her and she now works for them as a counsellor.

Roger is glad his friends survived but he can’t help feeling a little like an outsider. He is the pathetic homeless unemployed survivor. They all ask him if he would like to stay with them. He is a charity case. 

At first he stays with Freddie and Brian but he feels like an intruder. “We love having you here,” Brian tells him. He is almost convincing. “But if you’d like your own space perhaps Crystal’s friend could find you a place of your own.”

000

Crystal studies Roger over the rim of his coffee mug. They are in John and Crystal’s kitchen. Roger feels as if Crystal is looking into the depths of his soul. “You don’t want to be alone,” Crystal states.

“No,” Roger agrees, “I don’t. But Freddie and Brian do, although they are too polite to say so. And it would be the same with Phoebe and Miami. Dom doesn’t have any room at her place.” Roger shrugs. 

John looks up from the paper. “Stay here,” he suggests. “We have a spare room.”

“You’re a newly minted couple too,” Roger points out, “What makes you think you’d be any easier to live with than Freddie and Brian or Phoebe and Miami?”

Crystal grins at him. “Because we’d like you to join us in bed,” he tells Roger.

John flushes. “Crystal,” he sighs, giving Roger an apologetic look. “Ignore him. Why don’t you try staying here and see how it goes?”

Roger bites his lip. He glances at the table top. Then he looks up and his eyes meet John’s. “Do you want me to join you in bed?” he asks.

John’s blush intensifies. “Yes,” he confesses. “But I also want you to feel safe. I...What I’m trying to say...Well, I don’t want you to move in here just so that we can...In the hope that it leads to...”

Crystal gives Roger a wicked grin. “I am hoping. I do want.”

Roger laughs. “How would it work?” he wonders. 

“I’m not sure yet,” Crystal admits, “but I think it’ll be fun working it out.”

000

Roger moves into the spare room. There is no pressure to join the others in their bed. Not that Roger had thought there would be. He barely knows either of these men and yet he feels he knows them very well. He supposes he knows Crystal intimately. But that was a different Crystal in another time.

John he has danced with once. But there was definitely a connection. Roger enjoys spending time with John. Watching John concentrating on fixing the radio in the flat he thinks how quietly competent he is. John is working in a shop that sells new electrical items and also fixes appliances. John mainly fixes things and Roger thinks this suits him very well – he is one of life’s healers.

John is conscientious and hard working. He is steady and reliable. He can also be light hearted and mischievous. 

Roger takes a job as a cleaner at the centre Freddie works for. Sometimes hiring a person to clean is cheaper than a comprehensive cleaning robot. “You could be a counsellor,” Freddie suggests, “Or a support worker. I do the initial interviews with people. You could do that.”

Roger shakes his head. He could, he knows, Freddie is right. Technically he could do any of these things. “I’m not ready for that,” he explains, “I...I find making things clean satisfying.”

“Helping people is satisfying,” Freddie points out.

“I’m helping them by cleaning the spaces they are using,” Roger suggests.

He enjoys the work. It gives him a sense of purpose. He tries to save a little money each time he is paid. He does not want to have to rely on Crystal and John although they have been very generous.

“I think my heat is due soon,” he tells them quietly over dinner after he has been there for a few weeks. 

When he was staying with Freddie and Brian he had gone to an Omega heat hotel when his heat was due. It had not been as bad as the lonely Kensington Palace heat although he had been just as alone. He suggests a hotel as an option for his next heat.

“You could do,” John nods. There is a gleam in his eyes. “Or...” He glances at Crystal who also nods, “You could stay here and let us take care of you.”

“It’s fine if you’re not ready for that yet, little jewel,” Crystal assures him gently. “We don’t want to make you uncomfortable. And if you’re here then...” He glances at John. 

Roger understands. If he is here then John will almost certainly not be able to stay away from him. “I’m ready,” he tells them softly, “If you are?”

000

It is Crystal who is taken by surprise. As Roger’s heat grows closer Crystal’s own scent becomes much more pronounced. He worries that John will start to see him as a threat but John shakes his head. “It’s weird but I’m fine with it,” he assures Crystal. 

Roger discovers he adores being fussed over by two Alphas. “No great surprise there, then, little jewel,” Crystal laughs. He adds in a more serious tone, “I’m not really an Alpha now.”

“You smell like one,” Roger points out, nuzzling his neck. 

Crystal frets that he will be jealous when John satisfies Roger with his knot and yet he finds he feels nothing but love for both of them. It is working he thinks. 

Roger receives bite marks on each side of his neck – both of his lovers bonding with him he realises hazily - both of his Alphas bonding with him. 

000

“That’s interesting,” Brian notes. They are having dinner at Miami and Phoebe’s flat. Brian glances at Crystal, “A lot of the behaviour must be instinctive and they can’t alter your instincts.”

The bond is very real, Roger knows. He is fairly sure that both John and Crystal realise this too but knows that most people would be sceptical given what has happened to Crystal. So he hugs the knowledge to himself, savouring it. He has two Alphas. 

He must be one of the luckiest Omega’s alive.


End file.
